A week ago we took a look at the drop percentage of the Oakland Raiders receivers compared to the rest of the league. Well Pro Football Focus has returned to measure the drop percentage of running backs around the league. The Raiders are blessed with running backs with excellent receiving skills. They have not only hands, but the ability to run routes.
To qualify for this list a running back had to have at least 25 catchable (receptions + drops). In 2010, there were 41 backs who qualified for the list: Darren McFadden and Marcel Reece. PFF charted the top and bottom ten.
Marcel Reece makes an appearance in the bottom 10. He is 34th out of 41 with three drops and 25 catches. And to be honest, I am not counting Reece's drop percentage against him. Reece spends a lot of time in routes, and against safeties or corners. It is a lot easier to catch a screen pass than on an over the shoulder deep pass against a safety. And there are few backs, let alone full backs, who spend the percentage of their receiving times in routes as Reece.
The list tells me more about McFadden, and he isn't even in the top or bottom 10. McFadden spent little times in routes. Hue Jackson opted to keep him limited to screen and swing passes. And McFadden has too good of hands to be dropping any of these. For him, it comes down to concentration.